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Lone Fir Tree Under Aspen,
Slate Creek, Colorado
This photograph of a lone fir tree underneath a stand of aspen in full autumn foliage glory was made in the Slate Creek watershed of the Gore Range in central Colorado.
A solitary fir sapling grows slowly, patiently upward toward the light, underneath a mature stand of quaking aspen. Aspen trees are very intolerant to shade, while fir trees are much more tolerant. This allows firs to grow underneath -- and eventually overtop -- other species. Unless set back by a major disturbance such as wildfire or tree cutting, fir trees can eventually become the dominant trees in the forest overstory.
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